More Than Just Another Mom Blog... Healthy Moms Magazine founded by Cascia Talbert is The Number One Health Blog for moms in the United States. Here you will find information on everything from fitness, nutrition, parenting, pregnancy, faith, family, beauty and fashion.

One in eight couples faces infertility, according to RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association. Infertility can be caused by a number of hormonal or anatomical problems in either partner, but in 20 percent of infertility cases, there’s no identifiable cause. Recent studies indicate that women with unexplained infertility may actually have celiac disease, which could be hampering their attempts to conceive. In some of these cases, when the women switched to strict gluten-free diets, they conceived and had healthy, successful pregnancies.
Almost 6 percent of women with unexplained infertility had celiac disease—a rate nearly six times higher than expected, per a recent study from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

Alicia Woodward, editor of LivingWithout magazine, shared her expertise on celiac disease and infertility with The Healthy Moms Magazine recently.

What are the common symptoms of celiac disease?

Celiac
disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder that occurs when the body
reacts abnormally to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and
barley. It affects about 1 in 133 people, an estimated 3 million
Americans. Approximately 85 percent of these are thought to be
undiagnosed.

When
someone with celiac disease eat foods that contain gluten, an
immune-mediated reaction causes damage to the small intestine, as
well as to other systems in the body. Celiac disease is a lifelong
condition that cannot be outgrown. Often present without obvious
symptoms, it continues to “silently” cause intestinal damage if
left untreated by the gluten-free diet.Symptoms
of celiac disease vary widely from person to person. They may occur
in the digestive system or in other parts of the body. It’s
possible that symptoms may only be recognized in hindsight or, again,
that there may be no symptoms at all.Symptoms
may include classic gastrointestinal distress, such as diarrhea,
cramping and bloating, as well as non-gastrointestinal signs such as
short stature, anemia and liver problems. Over a lifespan, symptoms
tend to shift from primarily gastrointestinal in children (diarrhea
and/or constipation, bloating, pain, weight loss, vomiting) to
fatigue, anemia, arthritis, depression, anxiety and numbness/tingling
in the fingers and toes in adults.Left
untreated, those with celiac disease are more likely to be afflicted
with problems relating to inflammation, mal-absorption and
malnutrition, including osteoporosis, tooth enamel defects, central
and peripheral nervous system disease, pancreatic disease, seizures,
organ disorders (gall bladder, liver and spleen) and gynecological
disorders, including infertility.When
researchers at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University
screened 188 women with infertility for celiac, there was no higher
risk of the disease until they narrowed it to just those with
unexplained infertility. Of that group, almost 6 percent had celiac
disease—a rate nearly six times higher than expected.Some
studies suggest that the following reproductive disorders may be
linked to untreated celiac disease:

Late
puberty

Absence
of menstruation

Early
menopause

Endometriosis

Miscarriage

Stillbirth

Intrauterine
growth restriction

Low
birth-weight babies

Cesarean
section

What should you do if you suspect that you may have celiac disease?

Consult
with your doctor and request a celiac blood panel to screen for the
disease. The current “gold standard” for confirming a celiac
diagnosis is via a biopsy of the small intestine, obtained through an
endoscopy.

How can celiac disease impact a woman's fertility?

Mal-absorption
(resulting in malnourishment) probably isn’t the only mechanism
behind celiac-induced infertility. One recent study suggests there’s
something about the celiac process itself that may directly affect
one’s ability to carry through a pregnancy. The study showed
antibodies to tissue transglutaminase—one of the key markers of
celiac--can have a negative effect on the placenta’s development.

A
higher rate of miscarriage, stillbirth and fetal growth problems like
intrauterine growth restriction has been well documented in women
with undiagnosed celiac disease. Treatment with the gluten-free diet
seems to reduce these risks.

If you have celiac disease and you are trying to have a baby, what
steps should you take in order to have a healthy pregnancy?

Strictly
adhere to the gluten-free diet!

Then work closely with your doctor and follow all medical guidelines
for a healthy pregnancy. If you’re newly diagnosed with celiac
disease, it’s best to wait six months to a year--eating strictly
gluten free and getting all celiac symptoms well under
control--before attempting to conceive. But, again, check with your
doctor about what is best for you individually.

Do you have any other tips for women with celiac disease and
Infertility problems?

Again,
the best advice is to maintain a strict gluten-free diet—

absolutely
no cheating--and
to work closely with your doctor. After that, everything else is
routine. For great gluten-free recipes, tips and advice, check out
Living
Without.

Living
Without,
the nation’s leading magazine for people with food allergies and
sensitivities. She is also a licensed psychotherapist, specializing
in the psychological and social aspects of celiac disease and food
allergies and sensitivities. For more about traveling and dining out
with special dietary needs, go to LivingWithout.com.

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Cascia Talbert is a mother of five children, health and fitness enthusiast, positive parenting supporter and founder of the Healthy Moms Magazine. She is a featured blogger at wellsphere.com, often has her content featured on the popular news app, News360, and The Healthy Moms Magazine was ranked the number one health blog for moms from RNCentral.com. Cascia also blogs at talbertzoo.com and is the founder of Healthy Moms Social a free social network for moms committed to a healthy lifestyle. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and five children.

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